Gators finish 9th in final polls, project as a top five team for next season
- Franz Beard
- Apr 8
- 5 min read
Despite their earlier than anticipated exit from the NCAA Tournament, the Gators finished ninth in both the Associated Press and Coaches final top 25 polls. Florida’s 27-8 record also concluded the third best 3-year run of any team in school history – 87-24. The 2005-2007 teams, which included back-to-back national champions, hold the record at 92-19 followed by the 2012-14 teams that went 91-19.
With speculation growing that national Defensive Player of the Year Rueben Chinyelu and Alex Condon will be returning, the Gators made the top five in four prominent too early top 25 polls that predict next season. The Gators are No. 3 in both the ESPN and Sports Illustrated polls, No. 4 in polls for USA Today and The Athletic. If All-American Tommy Haugh forgoes the draft to return, Florida will likely project as the No. 1 team for next season. That is unlikely since Haugh projects in the lottery, but it is possible. It is far more reasonable that Condon and Chinyelu would return since both are projected second rounders.
If Condon and Chinyelu return instead of leaving for the NBA, Todd Golden will have 11 on scholarship and four that can be filled through the transfer portal and/or international players.
Here is a projected starting lineup:
Alex Condon (6-11, 236, SR); Rueben Chinyelu (6-11, 265, SR); Isaiah Brown (6-5, 210, JR); Boogie Fland (6-3, 185, JR) and Urban Klavzar (6-1, 195, SR)
Reserves: AJ Brown (6-5, 210, RJR); CJ Ingram (6-7, 210, SO); Viktor Mikic (6-11, 260, JR); Alex Lloyd (6-4, 180, SO); Alex Kovatchev (6-5, 195, RJR); and Jones Lay (7-0, 230, FR)
Based on these projections, it’s probable that Golden would try to bring in two bigs, a perimeter shooter and a point guard. The Gators have already been linked to New Mexico big man Tomislav Buljan (6-9, 250, FR) and Santa Clara point guard Christian Hammond (6-4, 190, SO). Buljan averaged 13.1 points and 10.3 rebounds, while Hammond was good for 15.6 points, 3.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists and shot 39.3 percent from three.
Associated Press top 25: 1. Michigan 37-3; 2. UConn 34-6; 3. Arizona 36-3; 4. Duke 35-3; 5. Illinois 28-9; 6. Purdue 30-9; 7. Houston 30-7; 8. Iowa State 29-8; 9. FLORIDA 27-8; 10. St. John’s 30-7; 11. Michigan State 27-8; 12. Tennessee 25-12; 13. Arkansas 28-9; 14. Nebraska 28-7; 15. Iowa 24-13; 16. Alabama 25-10; 17. Virginia 30-6; 18. Gonzaga 31-4; 19. Vanderbilt 27-9; 20. Kansas 24-11; 21. Texas Tech 23-11; 22. Texas 21-15; 23. Louisville 24-11; 24. Miami 26-9; 25. Wisconsin 24-11
Coaches top 25: 1. Michigan 37-3; 2. UConn 34-6; 3. Arizona 36-3; 4. Duke 35-3; 5. Illinois 28-9; 6. Houston 30-7; 7. Purdue 30-9; 8. Iowa State 29-8; 9. FLORIDA 27-8; 10. St. John’s 30-7; 11. Michigan State 27-8; 12. Tennessee 25-12; 13. Arkansas 28-9; 14. Nebraska 28-7; 15. Virginia 30-6; 16. Alabama 25-10; 17. Vanderbilt 27-9; 18. Gonzaga 31-4; 19. Iowa 24-13; 20. Kansas 24-11; 21. Texas Tech 23-11; 22. Miami 26-9; 23. Louisville 24-11; 25. Texas 21-15
PROJECTING NEXT SEASON
ESPN: 1. Michigan; 2. Duke; 3. FLORIDA; 4. UConn; 5. Arizona; 6. Michigan State; 7. Arkansas; 8. Illinois; 9. Virginia; 10. Houston; 11. St. John’s; 12. Iowa State; 13. Texas; 14. Purdue; 15. Saint Louis; 16. TCU; 17. Southern California; 18. Nebraska; 19. North Carolina; 20. Alabama; 21. Gonzaga; 22. BYU; 23. Missouri; 24. Vanderbilt; 25. Iowa
USA Today: 1. Michigan State; 2. Duke; 3. Michigan; 4. FLORIDA; 5. Arizona; 6. Illinois; 7. Alabama; 8. Houston; 9. Arkansas; 10. Virginia; 11. Gonzaga; 12. UConn; 13. Iowa State; 14. St. John’s; 15. BYU; 16. Purdue; 17. Miami; 18. Nebraska; 19. Iowa; 20. Kansas; 21. Tennessee; 22. North Carolina; 23. Louisville; 24. Wisconsin; 25. VCU
The Athletic: 1. Illinois; 2. Michigan; 3. Arizona; 4. FLORIDA; 5. Duke; 6. UConn; 7. Michigan State; 8. Iowa State; 9. Arkansas; 10. Nebraska; 11. Iowa; 12. Gonzaga; 13. Purdue; 14. Houston; 15. Kansas; 16. Saint Louis; 17. TCU; 18. Texas; 19. Kentucky; 20. Virginia; 21. Miami; 22. St. John’s; 23. Vanderbilt; 24. North Carolina; 25. Tennessee
Sports Illustrated: 1. Michigan; 2. UConn; 3. FLORIDA; 4. Arizona; 5. Michigan State; 6. Duke; 7. Virginia; 8. Illinois; 9. Arkansas; 10. Houston; 11. Alabama; 12. Gonzaga; 13. St. John’s; 14. Iowa State; 15. Vanderbilt; 16. Nebraska; 17. Texas; 18. Purdue; 19. Kansas; 20. Saint Louis; 21. Iowa; 22. UCLA; 23. Texas Tech; 24. TCU; 25. Southern California
SEC IN THE PORTAL
Alabama: Taylor Bol Bowen (6-10, 195, JR); Aiden Sherrell (6-10, 240, SO); Jalil Bethea (6-5, 190, SO)
Arkansas: Karter Knox (6-6, 211, SO); DJ Wagner (6-3, 175, JR); Kaim Rtail (6-7, 205, FR); Elmir Dzafic (7-0, 285, FR)
Auburn: Filip Jovic (6-8, 225, FR)
FLORIDA: Olivier Rioux (7-9, 305, RFR); Micah Handlogten (7-1, 260, SR)
Georgia: Jeremiah Wilkinson (6-1, 185, SO); Dylan James (6-9, 235, JR); Somto Cyril (6-11, 260, SO); Jackson McVey (7-1, 240, FR); Jordan Ross (6-3, 175, JR); Jake Wilkins (6-9, 185, FR)
Kentucky: Jaland Lowe (6-2, 170, JR); Brandon Garrison (6-11, 245, JR); Jasper Johnson (6-5, 180, FR); Mouhamed Dioubate (6-7, 215, JR); Denzel Aberdeen (6-5, 190, SR); Andrija Jelavic (6-11, 225, FR)
LSU: Dedan Thomas Jr. (6-1, 178, JR); Jalen Reed (6-10, 230, SR); Mazi Mosley (6-5, 169, FR); Matt Gilhool (6-11, 213, FR); Ron Zipper (6-5, 209, FR); Marcus Vaughns (6-8, 221, FR); Mike Nwoko (6-10, 245, JR)
Mississippi State: Jamarion Davis-Fleming (6-10, 240, FR); Dellquan Waren (6-1, 160, FR); Sergej Macura (6-9, 220, FR); Amier Ali (6-8, 185, SO)
Missouri: Anthony Robinson II (6-2, 175, JR); Sebastian Mack (6-3, 195, JR); T.O. Barrett (6-4, 200, SO)
Oklahoma: Andreas Holst (7-0, 200, FR); Kuol Atak (6-9, 190, FR); Jake Hansen (6-0, 170, FR)
Ole Miss: Eduardo Klafke (6-5, 190, SO); Ilias Kamardine (6-5, 185, FR); Hobert Grayson IV (6-4, 205, SR); Corey Chest (6-8, 210, RSO); Koren Johnson (6-2, 175, RJR); Augusto Cassia (6-8, 220, JR)
South Carolina: Eli Ellis (6-0, 192, FR); Elijah Strong (6-8, 225, JR); EJ Walker (6-7, 253, FR); Jordan Butler (7-0, 240, JR); Christ Essandoko (7-0, 285, RJR); Abu Yarmah (6-6, 209, FR)
Tennessee: Cade Phillips (6-9, 212, JR); Clarence Massamba (6-5, 192, FR); JP Estrella (6-11, 241, RSO); Bishop Boswell (6-4, 203, SO); Jaylen Carey (6-8, 245, JR); Troy Henderson (6-1, 186, FR); Amari Evans (6-5, 220, FR). Incoming: Tyler Lundblade (6-5, 195, SR, from Belmont)
Texas A&M: Josh Holloway (6-1, 178, JR); Ruben Dominguez (6-6, 213, FR)
Vanderbilt: Frankie Collins (6-1, 185, SR); Jaylon Dean-Vines (6-4, 181, FR); Tyler Harris (6-8, 190, JR); George Kimble III (6-2, 184, SO)
Denzel back in the portal
No way is Urban physically capable of being an effective starting guard in the SEC. He is not fast or big enough to play good defense especially without fouling. Certainly gives the effort but the minute he enters the game, SEC teams go right to whomever he’s guarding. He can’t even post up effectively to bring the ball in vs the press much less dribble past it like Boogie or X can. He is a role player and no way a SEC starter that wants to win it all. Watch the Vandy game the Iowa game etc
Iconic or ironic? Your chosen photo. Alex, Reuben and Tommy striding side-by-side with Denzel Aberdeen in step on their right. Well chosen.
I’m struck by the number of players in the transfer portal after Day 1 for each program: six each for Georgia, Kentucky LSU (coaching change), Ole Miss and South Carolina, and Tennessee with seven! That’s a whole lot of flux or maybe just re-arranging the chairs on the Titantic in a couple of cases. Our program looks solid by comparison, the biggest threat only being the lure of an NBA opportunity for our three front court starters. There’s plenty to like about our 2026-27 outlook.